A Thousand Stars (LapisXPeridot) (Under Revision)
by TheOneFlamingWaffels
Summary: The sequel to "A New Leaf", Lapis and Peridot travel the world in search of new experiences. However, with the Cluster nullified and Yellow Diamond personally insulted by our friendly neighborhood space Dorito, the Earthen air becomes tense, and reeks with unease. (PeridotXLapis) (StevenXConnie) (GarnetXHerself)
1. Clear Skies

"Steven, are you really sure we need all this?" Lapis asked, frowning as he shoved item after item into a small, hamburger shaped pack. He didn't answer her, though, and instead kept shoving things in until it looked like it was ready to burst.

"A toothbrush! Some snacks... a sleeping bag..." He mumbled, still focusing on packing it down as much as he could. The Crystal Gems, Lapis, and Peridot all watched him, standing in the brightly lit living room of the temple.

"Steven..." Pearl added, "They won't be gone forever, you know. I'm sure they can handle themselves."

Steven looked up at them with a gleeful smile. "Yeah, but you never know, you know? Hamburger backpack!" he said, smiling as he handed it to Peridot, who slipped it on without a word of protest. Amethyst chuckled and pumped her fist at them.

"Yeah, Hamburger Backpack!" She cheered, "It saved us a lot of trouble. Could help 'em, Pearl."

Pearl started to say something, but merely shrugged instead, saying "True."

Garnet layed a hand on Lapis' shoulder, smiling. "Good luck." Lapis appreciated the gesture, but was still kinda creeped out by the bigger gem and her use of future vision not long ago.

"Uh, sure." She muttered, giving a weak smile. Garnet realized she was invading Lapis' personal space, and backed off.

"We should really get going." Peridot said, obviously tired of basking in the presence of the Crystal Gems. She didn't have much against them, but she was eager to start her journey with Lapis, seeing as she made up her mind last that morning.

"Yeah," Lapis said, backing away and toward Peridot. Steven gasped and yelled, "Wait! One more thing!" before scampering away to his room. He wasted no time in grabbing two things in particular, an Mp3 player coupled with a white pair of earbuds and his Ukulele. He brought them down to the duo, handing both items to Peridot.

"Steven," Garnet said, "Your father gave that to you. Are you sure you want to just... give that to them?"

"Well, yeah!" the boy said smiling. "They'll be back soon, right? They can give it back then! Until then it's like a parting gift. Y'know, something to remember me by."

Peridot thought of saying something to deny his gifts, but before a word could slip from her lips, Steven shushed her.

"I insist." he said, pouting. The green gem gave a tired sigh.

"Alright, Steven." she said, looking to Lapis, an instrument in one hand and a mobile device in the other. Lapis looked at them all, ushering a few thank yous.

"We're uh, gonna go now. We'll keep in touch" She said, quickly picking up Peridot and walking out, closing the door quickly as the Gems and Steven ushered their goobyes. As they exited, Lapis Lazuli sighed, smiling.

"Finally, we'd been in there for an hour, at least..." she mused, setting her green counterpart down gently on the wooden boardwalk. Peridot scoffed at her, holding the intsrument away from her body, saying, "Well, if you hadn't wanted to say goodbye to the Crystal Clods in the first place, we wouldn't have had to wait."

"Quiet, pipsqueak." Lapis said jokingly, resting a hand on her triangle shaped hair. Peridot's cheeks tinted slightly as she did, resulting in her shaking her head to free herself from her grasp. "Besides," the blue gem continued, "I only wanted to say goodbye to Steven. I don't really like the rest of them."

"What?" Peridot said, looking a bit confused, "Why not? They aren't that bad."

Lapis shook her head, standing up straight and smiling.

"Let's not talk about it, just get onto our journey."

Peridot shuffled for a moment, thinking.

"But I... want to talk about it." She said, her voice quiet, yet somehow crystal clear. Lapis' smile faded quickly as she spoke, a sigh creeping from her mouth.

"Look, we can talk later, when we're away." the blue gem said, picking Peridot up even though the newly acquired ukulele disrupted them. Peridot grunted.

"Where are we even going to put this pointless instrument?" she said, pulling it away from them. Lapis hummed in thought.

"Well, does the backpack have any space in it?"

"No. It's full of junk."

"Don't say that. Steven packed it for a reason. If it were junk, he wouldn't have put it in there."

Peridot nodded slowly and held it in her hands, inspecting it.

"Well, I can hold it, I guess." She spoke, the backpack starting to weigh her down and put strain on her shoulders. Her blue counterpart nodded, her smile returning.

"Well, climb on, and we'll go see the world." She said, a hint of joy in her voice. Peridot obliged, climbing around to her back with some difficulty due to the instument in her hand. She wrapped her arms around Lapis, holding the Ukulele in front of her as the watery wings ripped from her shoulder blades like a wave of soft knifes, cutting through the thick, humid summer air.

"Ready?" Lapis asked, getting into an able position to take off.

"Ready." Peridot said, eager to fly.

With one flap of her wings, they jetted into the sky, both gems laughing from the wave of cool air that hit them. With that, they were free. They would pick a direction, and fly. Get there, explore. Stay a while, discover new things.

* * *

"This is the Yellow Diamond contact line, what do you need?" The yellow Pearl said into the screen, obviously uninterested in the affairs of the caller. The caller, a set of Rubies, all fought for the microphone, which was a small, diamond shaped crystal.

"Y-Yeah!" one of the Rubies said, pushing the other four away. "W-we were told to contact Yellow Diamond directly on our progress of the mission."

The towering mass of Yellow spoke, her cold voice echoing through the room.

"And your progress?"

All of the Rubies shrunk back at her voice from a mixture of fear and respect. With a trembling voice, one of them answered.

"W-we were told that she had went to Neptune and-"

"And what made you believe that?" Yellow Diamond asked, shifting her eyes to them.

"W-well, there were some gems, Uh, and the Peridot assigned to the Earth mission and they told us-"

"There is no form of transportation off that miserable rock. Any day now, the cluster will emerge, and we will lose a Jasper if you don't get there and take her back. The tremors should already be starting, so we won't have much time. I'll send another squadron of gems to meet you at Neptue. Ones who aren't so incompetent. You will accompany them and locate Jasper immediately, and leave the rest to be destroyed in the recesses of space." Yellow Diamond said, typing some commands into her pad.

"Uhm, M-my Diamond, uh, are you.. Sure? We were on Earth for a while and... and there weren't like, any tremors... at all."

"What?" she said, turning to face them.

"The cluster... uh.. wasn't doing anything."

Yellow Diamond sat back in her chair, thinking for a moment.

"That means that either my calculations were incorrect or..." she said quietly, but soon after she realized what was happening, she clenched her fist in anger.

"That damn Peridot nullified my Cluster!" She yelled, slamming her fist down on the arm of her chair. The Rubies all jumped back, even though they were not actually in her presence.

"Alright, change of operations." Yellow Diamond said, fury welling in her chest. "I will send a team with Gem Grinders. I want you and that team to find every gem on that planet, and destroy them."

"Destroy them? B-but-"

"Do I make myself clear?!" She yelled, to which all of the Rubies jumped and yelled "Yes Ma'am!"

* * *

 **Hey Guys! I got around to writing this finally! It's the sequel to my fanfic "A New Leaf," which got great feedback. This chapter is a wee bit short, but as the first chapter was in my last fic, it's just to set the ground for future chapters. Anyway, though, I can't wait for the new episodes that will start permiering on the 18th! It's gonna be awesome! I saw some of Lapis and Peridot in the sneak peak, and me being the Lapidot trash that I am, I really want it to happen in the next Steven Bomb...**

 **Oh well! Leave a review and tell me what you think so far! (Even if it's not much to go on) I really appreciate every review, follow, and favorite. Feel free to list any complaints you have, too. I'm writing these stories to imrove my writing, after all!**

 **Thanks again, and Bai Baii!**


	2. Two Broke Gems

The wind batted the gems in the face, blowing their worries, their cares away. The shifting landscape was that of old dirt paths and trees, of old farms and forgotten memories, of drunken brawls and rekindled friendships. They flew quickly over it, their eyes darting at each landmark they saw. Not many out in the country. Some silos, an abandoned house...

Peridot sat comfortably on Lapis' back, toying with the Mp3 player in her hands, putting an earbud into her ear, listening to the first song that came on, which was some sort of 90s punk music. She thought it sounded pretty ok, and coupled with the landscape down below, it actually kind of relaxed her. She held the Ukuele in her hands, fiddling with the strings.

"Do you know how to play that thing?" Lapis asked, flying low enough to reach her hand down and brush the leaves hanging from the limbs of the massive oaks. In response, Peridot chuckled.

"Well, how hard could it be, right?" the green gem said, letting her confidence shine as she plucked a few strings. "I mean, I don't mean to brag, but Steven and I did... a duet, I believe it is called."

The blue gem gave a little chuckle as she flew toward a towering city as the sun began to set, sending rays of light over the skyscrapers and down to the ground. "Oh really?" she said, turning her back to the Peridot that rested on her back. She nodded, chuckling.

"I believe it went something... like this." She said, giving the Ukulele an uneven, rough swipe at its strings. The sound that escaped that instrument rivaled the crudeness of a walrus whaling out for a mate. Lapis winced at the noise, smiling as Peridot let out a flustered stutter.

"W-wait, no, that wasn't it." She whispered, blushing as she tried to recall the formation of Steven's fingers as he played. She remembered what she thought to be a "C", so she very strongly preformed the chord and strummed the ukulele, which produced a pleasant sound, to Lapis' surprise.

"Oh hey!" She said, smirking, "You actually did something right, for a change."

Peridot growled, crossing her arms in aggitation.

"I do things right!" She yelled, blushing slightly. Lapis flapped her wings stronger as she approached the city.

"I know." She said, smiling. "I love you, Peri." She said lowly after.

Peridot heard, a tint of green spreading darker across her cheeks.

"Uh, I uh... love you too." She whispered, laying on her back as to press herself closer to the blue gem, and wrapping an arm around her rather awkwardly. Their new relationship status was one induced by spur of the moment actions, and she wasn't used to the whole calm, fluffy moments that Lapis seemed to lean toward.

After Peridot's words, Lapis found an open place to land at, which happened to be a small patch of grass before the city, letting the green gem slip down off of her. She gazed over at the city as Peridot dusted herself off, ogling over the towering buildings.

"This is... a real city?" she mustered out in awe, her eyes tracing the outline of the skyscrapers. Lapis laughed at her.

"Yeah." the blue gem cooed, looking down at Peridot. "You alright? You almost sound impressed."

The green gem scoffed, looking back to her, "Impressed? By a primitive species like this?"

Lapis chuckled. "Admit it."

"There's nothing to admit, Lazuli!"

"Yes there is. Admit you actually like this place."

"Well, I like it. Certainly not impre-"

"Denial."

"What?"

"Denial Peri, you're in denial."

"I'm not in denial!"

Lapis stood quietly, gazing out over the city. She took a deep breath as she examined it. It looked something like the capital of Homeworld, yet in it's own way, a million times more illiustrious and stunning. She marveled over how mere humans could build structures such as these. If anything, the humans on Earth should have been given props for something as simple as a city, for humans were frail, and even the slightest task for a gem proved daunting for one of their species. However, they had clawed their way to the top of the food chain, and established huge settlements across the world that could almost rival the complexity of a Diamond's palace.

"Humans are such fascinating creatures." Lapis cooed, looking down to Peridot. "But, I searched for the city so we could do something, not appreciate them."

Peridot nodded. "Their settlements aren't much to marvel at any rate. What activity did you have in mind, Lazuli?"

Lapis smiled toothily, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"A date."

Peridot eeped, looking back up to her.

"A d-date?" she said, shrinking back. Lapis nodded, giving her a gentle smile. Peridot thought for a moment, eventually nodding back.

"I suppose... if we can live together on this planet as... a..." Peridot cleared her throat, "-Couple- er... we should have a first date, shouldn't we?"

"Only one problem." Lapis said quietly.

"We don't have any money." Peridot finished for her.

They both thought at the problem for a moment. Peridot's thievery at the fair a few days ago probably wouldn't go unnoticed in a place like this. (See: A New Leaf Chapter 7)

"That's okay." Lapis said, optimistically smiling. "We'll figure something out. Let's just go in the city, eh?"

Peridot sighed. It wasn't like her to be so upward about things. At least, she hadn't seen it. She must have really been trying to make this special. That, she could respect.

"Alright, Lapis. Let's go."

* * *

The duo walked down the sidewalk, their hands interlocked, and rather awkwardly considering the height difference. The streets they walked were loosely populated, and she shabbiness of the buildings combined with the worn, tired nature of the people suggested that they were in the slums of the city- the place where the less affluent of the populace made their residence. Usually, Lapis would have felt somewhat comfortable here, but the binging of old gangster movies at the barn had given her a sense of danger from the place, as if each corner offered the chance to wind up in prison or shot.

Peridot, for a moment, letting go of her hand and pulling out a notebook and pen. "Yes!" She said to herself, "Looks like Steven packed something other than junk!"

Lapis grunted at the comment. "I told you, Steven wouldn't send us here with junk." she said. "What do you need a notepad for anyway?"

Peridot chuckled. "That, Lazuli, is a secret." she muttered as she scribbled some words onto the paper. Lapis rolled her eyes, walking a bit more. "Well, do you have any ideas to where we should head for our first stop on this date?"

Peridot thought for a moment. "Don't humans enjoy... eating on dates?"

Lapis thought a moment. "You know, I've been thinking. What it's like to eat, I mean."

"Well, I mean, Amethyst enjoys eating. And Steven told me that sometimes Garnet likes to eat. So I suppose it could be remotely pleasant."

A man walked past them, listening to an iPod with one earbud. Peridot took this chance to wave him down. "Excuse me, human!" she yelled. The man looked down at her, looking with uninterested eyes. "Where can we dine on some human food?"

The man didn't answer, but instead simply pointed to a nearby Burger restaurant. The two thanked the man, making their way over to it. The building was large, and somewhat bland. A two large, yellow arcs towered over the top of it. Peridot, who was very much shorter than Lapis, was slightly intimidated by the structure, but gripped Lazuli's hand and walked in nonetheless. The restaurant was filled with tables, families and couples alike sitting down and talking, enjoying their meals. There was a counter with a man behind it, talking to a co-worker. The two presumed that they would order their food there.

"We still don't have money." Lapis said, looking down at Peridot. The green gem thought for a moment, looking down. "Don't worry." She said, letting go of Lapis' hand and walking toward the counter. "I've got this."

She walked to the counter, clearing her throat. As the man looked down, she flashed a cocky smile, leaning against a metal donation box next to her.

"Two of your finest meals." She said, gazing slyly at the man. He gave her a confused looked back. "Er, what number?" he asked, putting a hand on the computer next to the register.

"Er... 2. For two of us."

"Alright. Two number 2's, coming right up. That'll be 8.97"

Peridot flashed a smile back to Lapis. "I believe this will suffice." She said, writing a note on a peice of paper, handing it to the man. He put in in light, reading it aloud.

"...IOU?" he said, looking back down to the green gem. She kept her same, confident smile.

* * *

"What made you think that would work?" Lapis asked, resting her chin in her palm. Peridot looked down, her face blushing a deep green.

"I... saw it in one of Steven's movies! Humans who gave that note to others would usually get what they wanted.." She mumbled, looking ashamed of her mistake. Lapis patted her head like she was a child, chuckling at her and not saying a word. As they sat on the steps of the restaurant, basking in the warm sun, a tall, slender, masked man walked in-between them, brushing up against Lapis.

"Hey!" She yelled, looking at him. The man didn't turn around, but in his hand she saw a black, L shaped object. It took her until he walked into the doors to realize that it was a gun.

"Is something wrong, Lapis?" Peridot asked, noting the worried and fearful expression on her face.

"Yes." She said, standing up. "Something is very wrong."

"What? What is it?"

"Be quiet for a second"

The man walked into the resturaunt, no one paying him much attention. As he did, Lapis walked behind him, followed by a curious Peridot. He stepped close to a balding man, who seemed to be in his late 30s. The man was sitting in a booth by himself, eating a large cheeseburger. He raised the gun up to the back of his head, the cold steel clicking as he pulled back the hammer. The look of shock mingled with the cliche positioning reminded Lapis of the movies she had seen.

"Marshal says hello." He said, readying his finger on the trigger.

"Stop!" The blue gem yelled. She made a split second decision. She senced liquid in the Soda machine, and that small amount was all she needed. She hardened the liquid, making it blast out and hit the man on the side of the head, hard. He was knocked over, the gun going off. Lapis' non-existant heart sunk as she saw the balding man drop.

The whole restaurant was filled with the screams of the other people as the gun shot. The shooter was thrown to the ground with a flick of Lapis' wrist, and as he hit the wall, he was knocked unconscious, the soda spilling everywhere. However, the residents of the place were still confused, and some rushed out, while others hid under the table. As for Peridot, she clung to Lapis, both in fear and struggle to not be carried away by the people running past her.

"What's going on?!" Peridot yelled, being almost knocked off by the stampede of people. Her blue counterpart didn't answer. She instead just stared at the table, and the place where the man had sat.

Her eyes widened as the man shot back up, looking over in fear. He saw that the shooter lay unconscious, and breathed out in relief, shaking. Lapis Lazuli likewise breathed out in relief. A smile crept on her face as she realized that all was well. She wasn't sure where the bullet had hit, but no one seemed to be lying down or acting like they'd been shot, so she assumed that everyone was okay. The weight she had felt had been lifted from her chest.

"Lapis?!" Peridot yelled, worried as she shook her arm. Lapis crouched down, looking at her and smiling. "It's alright." She said softy, sighing. "It's... alright."

* * *

"And then she was all like, WHACHOW, and knocked him out like a total pro." Peridot said, talking with her hands just as much as with her mouth. The police officer listened intently to her description of Lapis immobilizing the criminal, obviously getting a kick out of what she was saying.

"If that's true.." He said, chuckling to himself, "Then your friend here is a hero."

Peridot watched them throw the criminal into the back of the car, still knocked out. Lapis was behind her, blushing quietly as she told the story. She hadn't meant to boast, but her lover had done it for her.

"I wish we could give you two something, but unfortunatley, this man wasn't wanted. There's no reward." He said, scratching the back of his head. "You probably didn't get to eat, huh? Here." He continued, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a 10 dollar bill. "It's the least we could give you for saving that man's life."

Lapis took it before Peridot could take it and say anything rude. "Thank you." She said, smiling at the officer. The officer nodded his head.

"You two stay safe, ya hear?" He said, chuckling and stepping into the driver's seat of the police car, which drove off after the other officer got inside. They both waved as they drove away, leaving the duo standing in front of the burger resturaunt as the sun began to lower in the sky. The whole investigation had taken a while, and now it would only be a few hours before sundown. The rest of the patrons who had stayed, and the employees stood with them. Peridot turned to them, clearing her throat, and taking the bill from Lapis.

"Hey!" She said, only to be ignored by Peridot.

"Can we have that order now?" The small gem said, holding up the bill.

* * *

The two gems walked down the street, each holding a bag and a large cup. They looked for a place to sit down, huffing as they found a bench next to a park. The area was loosely populated, and as green as the hills next to Beach City. Lapis and Peridot looked at each other, taking their burgers out. They both seemed a bit hesitant.

"You first." Peridot said, looking at hers.

"No, you." Lapis responded, looking uneasily at her own.

"It was your idea, Lazuli."

"Alright, alright, fine."

With that, Lapis took a bite of hers, chewing it up three times in her mouth before swallowing. Her expression told Peridot neither if she liked or hated it.

"So?" the smaller gem asked.

"It tastes.." Lapis started, "Interesting."

"Interesting." Peridot said scarcastically, "Thanks. That's an adequate description."

"Oh just take a bite, you clod." The blue gem cooed, mocking Peridot's favorite insult. She grumbled back to her, taking a small bite of hers.

"Oh!" Peridot said, her mouth full. "This is... good! Very good!"

Lapis couldn't help but chuckle as Peridot began to chow down into her burger. She would take a flurry of small bites, then chew, and repeat the process. She couldn't think of a better word than cute. After a few rotations of the most ferocious burger eating on the planet, though, she spoke up.

"Slow down, Peri. It's not a race." She said, chuckling to herself.

Peridot gulped. "Well, it's not my fault that humans make these taste so good." She said, putting her half eaten burger down. Lapis took the opprotunity to do something simmular to a scene in a movie she saw at the barn.

She took her hand, cupping the green gem's cheek. She flinched lightly on thouch, but looked at Lapis. The bigger gem then took that chance to run her fingers along her cheek, and eventually up her chin, inching closer to her face. Peridot's cheeks burned, and with Lapis' gentle touch, she shivered, practically melting as a dumb smile creeped across her face. Their heads inched forward until their lips were only a couple inches apart. As close as they were, they could feel each other's breath on their cheeks.

Lapis spoke in a low, seductive tone. One that made Peridot's hairs stand on end.

"Your lips are pretty tasty." She said, bringing them together into a soft kiss, making the green gem's whole body tingle. Their embrace didn't last long, as Lapis pulled away, chuckling. Peridot stared at her dumbstruck, her mouth slightly agape.

"I love you, Peri."

"I... Love... You, too."

* * *

"Woah." Peridot cooed, looking out from the top of a very tall building over the brightly lit city. In the dark of night, it seemed like and endless beacon, one that would never stop burning.

"Like what you see?" Lapis asked, standing behind her. "I thought you might want to have a better view of this place."

"The uh... view is behind me." Peridot said awkwardly, scratching the back of her head.

"Great pick up line, Peridork." Lapis cooed, snickering. The green gem didn't seem to appreciate her mocking.

"Well, is there anything else you'd like to see, Lazuli?"

"Actually," The blue gem said, walking back a few steps and sitting down. "It's night. Most human places are closed while they sleep, so we should probably sleep as well."

"Sleep?" Peridot asked, turning around. "But... we're so.. vulnerable, asleep."

"Says the gem who fell asleep on me in the Barn."

"I didn't mean to!"

"But it was relaxing right?"

"..."

"Right?"

"Yes, it was relaxing."

"Then let's do it, together. And if we're in danger, I'll wake up and protect us." Lapis said, reaching a hand out to Peridot. Her green lover took her hand, the idea of laying next to her for hours on end sounding more and more promising each moment. Lapis lulled them to the ground, wrapping her arms around Peridot as she layed behind her. She closed her eyes, pulling the smaller gem close. Peridot didn't mind at all, and was greatly comforted by her presence. By her scent. By her warmth.

"G'night, Peri." Lapis whispered into her ear, making her shiver once again.

"Goodnight, Lapis."

And with that, they closed their eyes, slowly drifting into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Everyone on deck!" a Ruby called out, having everyone stand in front of the newly landed Hand-Ship. They waited in a single file line as the shipped opened, two more Rubies stepping out, holding a box.

"They sent more Rubies?" The lead Ruby asked, scratching her head.

"No." A Voice called as two tall, slender gems came into the light. Their shapes were odd and unrecognizable at first, but as they got closer, the lead Ruby realized something.

"It's..."

She was interrupted by the loud clank of steel on steel, as the two Gems stepped into the light. The two that stood were a Peridot, and a Lapis , and a Lapis Lazui.

* * *

 **Heya guys, I just wanna say that I'm sorry that this update took so long, but I was waiting until the Steven Bomb was almost over to continue. I posted that on my other fanfic, but I doubt anyone here read it, so... Eh. Well, anyway, I'll be updating regularly from now on. Thank you all so much for supporting the story, it means a lot. Please post a review.**

 **Also, I've been thinking that I take the plot beyond just Lapis and Peridot. Maybe like a series of shipfics with one interconnecting story? Eh, I'll figure it out. Until then! Bai Baii!**


	3. First Light

Peridot's eyes swung open as the light of day breached them, making her flinch slightly. She was dazed, rather groggy, and just slightly confused. It took her a few moments of fidgeting to feel Lapis's arms still wrapped firmly around her. The sound of her quiet, low breaths echoed into her ear, causing Peridot to absolutely melt.

For the first time in, well, pretty much her moving into the barn, she didn't want Lapis to wake up. She had no plans to talk- she had no hope to kiss. For the moment, all she wanted was to lay in her arms for a bit longer.

And so, she got her wish. Lapis stayed well and fast asleep for a good half hour, when Peridot's large triangular hair failed to block the sun from her eyes. They fluttered open, and a smile lined her lips as she squeezed her better half tighter.

"Awake, finally?" Peridot said lowly, hoping that she would stay a bit longer. Although, her hopes were denied as Lapis sat up, rubbing her eyes gently.

"Hm-" She grunted as she stretched, yawning. She looked below her to see Peridot's now ragged, ruffled hair affixed to her small, tired head, and laughed.

"You look terrible." She mocked, giving a chuckle. Peridot rolled her eyes in annoyance as she sat up, facing her as the sun rose further over the city. It was at that moment that Peridot's eyes drifted uneasily toward the general direction of Beach City. She had the distinct feeling that something was wrong, but she shrugged it off for the moment, being as she didn't want to off-put Lapis.

"How... was your... sleep?" Lapis inquired, turning brightly to her counterpart, brushing away a strand of hair gone awry. Peridot returned her bright smile, her cheeks heating up just a bit.

"It was fine." She said quietly, stuttering afterword for a moment. "I mean-" she continued. "It was great. Really... Really great."

"Good." Lapis returned, standing up. "Mine was good, too."

A long sort of awkward silence ensued. One that had been happening a bit too often for Peridot's liking ever since their "hook up." She wondered if the quiet meant that Lapis was bored, or growing uneasy or unhappy. With all the thoughts that rushed through the engineer's head, she didn't notice Lapis leaning in and giving her a peck on the cheek. The touch from her lips sent shivers down her spine once more.

"G-geez..." Peridot said waveringly, looking up at Lapis with half lidded eyes. "Cut that out..."

"Do you really want me to?" She asked, tilting her head playfully.

"Well, no, but-" The green gem said frantically, coming at a loss for words. This made Lapis chuckle.

Suddenly, though, an annoying beeping noise came from the backpack, vibrating it incessantly. For a moment, the two stared at it, confused. However, it didn't take long for the engineer to use a simple process of elimination to filter out the possibilities.

"That must be Steven calling!" She said, scampering toward the backpack, and digging it out. Sure enough, the phone read "Steven Universe" on it. Peridot hit the green button, the one that said "Accept call," and put the phone on speaker.

"Hello?!" Peridot yelled, looking down at the phone. "STEVEN?!"

"Hey!" Steven's voice projected though the phone. "How are you guys? Are you having fun?"

"Steven?" Lapis asked, crawling up behind Peridot, looking at the phone. "Are you... IN that thing?" Her voice was uneasy, but not frantic and hasty, (UNLIKE SOME ALTERNATE TIMELINES. See: Steven Universe Skype Short. I forgot the name of the actual short XD)

"No- I'm not in the phone." Steven said calmly. "I'm just talking into it- it's like an instant message with my voice."

"Oh- I get it." Lapis said quietly, leaning on Peridot. "Are you doing alright?"

"That's what I called to ask you!" Steven said, laughing a bit. "Come on- I asked first-"

"We're doing just fine, Steven." Peridot said quirkily, yet happily. "We're in a city- not exactly sure which one, though."

"Oh- well that's cool." Steven added, thinking for a moment. "What did you do in the city- so far?"

"Oh, Steven, have I got a tale to tell you!" Peridot boasted, leaning back into Lapis, who wrapped her arms around the green gem, pulling her close as she talked to Steven. "You see- Lapis delved right into the face of danger and stopped a whole robbery-"

"Don't exaggerate now, Peri." Lapis said, giving her another peck on the cheek. Peridot grinned widely at her, now giggling.

"No way- a robbery?" Steven said, obviously in some form of awe.

Peridot confirmed his allegation, and continued to tell the totally accurate story of what happened, of course exaggerating a few parts.

"Woah, that's really cool Lapis!" Steven said gingerly. "I guess you've got a soft spot for people somewhere, huh?"

"I don't have any soft spots." Lapis said somewhat snarkily. Steven gave a chuckle in response.

"Nonono, I just meant..." Steven suddenly went quiet.

"Steven?" Lapis called out. There was still no answer.

"HELLO?!" Peridot yelled into the phone. "STEVEN- CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

"Hey!" Steven snapped back into the receiver. "Sorry, sometimes the phone's service likes to drop."

"Service... drop?" Lapis inquired, tilting her head.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to explain. But- I've got to go soon, so I'm gonna go ahead and get off. You guys gonna be okay on your own?"

Peridot chimed in. "We will be quite alright- thank you."

"Bye, Steven!" The watery gem said happily, waving at the phone, "Call again soon!"

"I will. Bye guys!" Steven said, just before ending the call with a loud beep. The duo sat in silence for a moment, staring at the phone.

"When do you think he'll call back?" The blue gem asked, eyeing the phone with some sentiment of regret for his leaving.

"Probably not today." Peridot answered, placing the phone back into the folds of the cheeseburger backpack. "He's busy."

"Speaking of busy-" Lapis started, gripping Peridot tighter. "Where should we go next?"

"Well, we COULD try to find a nice... what is it that the humans call it... an Island?"

"Oh!" Lapis chimed, her face lighting up. "You mean like- from that show that you had back at the barn? Where the humans competed in games on the Island?"

"Precisely!" The green Dorito said, giggling.

"Alright." Lapis said, giggling lightly. "Let's get going!"

* * *

The Rubies had been meticulously monitoring the movements and dialogue of Lapis and Peridot for their own gems. The two, their own Lapis and Peridot, watched the feed, noting the way they acted toward one another.

"We have to do all of this?" The Homeworld Peridot asked quirkily, eyeing the screen, "These two are disgusting."

"It's only for a mission." The Homeworld Lapis noted, pacing back and forth. "If we can just fool their freinds for a little while, it should be easy to issue a surprise attack on them."

"I suppose you're right." The Homeworld Peridot answered, looking up to her.

"Then- are you ready?" The commander Ruby asked, tilting her head.

"Yes." Homeworld Lapis said quietly. "We can blend in quite well, I'd say."

"Alright. We'll be monitoring your progress from inside the ship." The Commander said, turning to the panel and adjusting the cameras. "In order to save time in the short moments that we contact you- we'll give you code-names."

"Code-names?" Homeworld Peridot asked, unimpressed.

"Yes. Lapis, you're code-name will be Tol. Peridot, you will be Smol."

"Smol?" Peridot asked, her brow furrowed. "I am NOT small!"

"No need to get into character just yet." Tol said, smirking at her. The newly appointed Smol was not happy with the decision, but with a sigh she accepted her fate.

"You ready?" Tol continued, offering Smol a hand.

"Yeah. Whatever. Let's just grind these imbeciles and be done with it."

"Remember-" The commander said. "Get the Lapis and the Peridot first- so your cover won't be broken."

* * *

 _ **THIS IS A SAD EXCUSE FOR AN UPDATE I AM ASHAMED.**_

 **Okay but seriously, this chapter is hella sort- my bad. But, it's simply serving as an intermediate chapter to turn the story from one way to the other. So, in that sense, this could have been the true end to chapter 2. Maybe.**

 **Well, anyway, I'm glad to get back to work on this- It's been a while, I know, but school combined with flooding combined with a broken ankle and a break-up have kept me off of fanfic for a while. But hey, I'm back now!**

 **Leave a review. I really appreciate them, and hearing your thoughts as a reader motivates me to write more.**

 **And speaking of writing more, I have decided that this story-line will be an entire series spaning multiple shipping stories, just because I wanna write my own plot to Steven Universe, the best show EVER!**

 **And even though we both go on long hiatuses, I bet I'll finish before crewniverse!**

 **Want an OC to feature in future stories and/or plotlines? PM me!**


	4. A Surprise Encounter

The flight had been long, but soothing. Lapis and Peridot gripped sightly to each other the whole way there, humming soft melodies to each other. The whole experience felt surreal, and far too perfect for Peridot. It almost made her uneasy, like the calm before a storm. Something indeed felt very, very wrong.

The islands they had been looking for came up into view, the sunset hidden behind a large volcano sprouting out of one of the larger ones. Lapis landed on the shore of that island, as it was dotted with people and surrounded by tropical forest. She landed far enough away from actual people that they would not notice, and set Peridot down. The engineer stretched as she observed their location, tilting her head.

"It's quite... warm." She said, noting the fauna and the humans playing in the water not so far off.

"It's beautiful." Lapis said, gripping her hands together tightly.

Peridot began to speak, to refute that she had seen better, but she knew that Lapis's millennia in the mirror likely only fueled her longing and desire to see and appreciate all that wasn't a piece of glass. The thought saddened her, but also gave her a quick chuckle. She thought it was cute.

It wasn't until Lapis spoke that the silence was broken. Her voice was somewhat damning and vindictive- the kind of voice Peridot had initially grown used to.

"Of course, these humans kind of ruin the whole thing." She said, eyeing them. "They're destroying the place."

Peridot strongly disagreed. She saw their structures and technology and saw, although it was rather primitive, a sign of home- of Homeworld. Although she resented the place now, as she had stated, it was hard not to have feelings for where you came from.

Both of the gems jumped lightly as a feminine voice called out behind them.

"Hellooo!" the woman, a tall, somewhat roundish woman in a bathing suit said, smiling at Peridot. "Do you play?"

Peridot and Lapis tilted their heads.

"Ex...cuse me?" Peridot asked, scratching the back of her head. The woman ushered a gesture to her, and smiled. It took her a moment to realize that she was ushering to the Ukulele that the engineer was gripping onto.

"Oh!" Peridot said, her voice peaking. "Well, I'm-"

"Pretty bad at playing." Lapis interrupted, smirking as Peri glared angrily toward her.

The roundish woman tilted her head. "Is that so?" She asked.

"Not at all." Peridot said, clearing her throat. "I can play rather finely."

Lapis rolled her eyes as the woman perked up, smiling. She grabbed Peridot by the wrist and dragged her off toward a large crowd around a pool.

"Then come with me- you're going to love this!" she said.

Lapis immediately went for them. "H-hey!" She yelled, stepping forward. Peridot glanced back and forth between the iron clad grip of the woman and Lapis's concerned gaze, looking a bit confused. Within moments, the two had breached the crowd and dispersed into them, leaving the watery gem without a clue where they could be. She glanced around, over short and tall humans, all of whom were gathered around the pool. In the center of said pool was a stage, of which held multiple women dressed in long, grassy skirts and flowery headbands.

"Peridot?" Lapis called, eeping as one of the humans bumped into her. The large crowd made her highly uncomfortable, and she wished to be rid of it as soon as possible. "Peridot! Peri!"

At that point, she began to panic. Where had she taken her? Was she okay? What was she doing? Her questions were soon answered by the cheers of the crowd as Peridot was nudged onto the stage, wearing the same grassy skirt and coconut bikini attire. The green gem glanced around nervously at the crowd as one of the other girls placed the flower headband on her triangular shaped hair.

Lapis eased up a bit, waving at her and giggling at how lost she looked over the account of the festivities. Peridot noticed her wave, and attempted to step down to meet her, but before she could someone shouted and the women began to dance and play their respective instruments- One with a Ukulele, one with a hand drum, and two with flutes. One of the flute girls had spotted Peridot trying to escape, and blocked her way, ushering for her to play her instrument.

"O-oh!" the engineer said, glancing at Lapis. In return, the water gem gave her a thumbs up, now assured of her lover's safety. She smiled warmly at her, making Peridot indefinitely less nervous. And with that, she smiled back, and began to strum her instrument, looking at the flute girl. She gave her an approving nod.

The crowd cheered as the lead Ukulele girl began to sing, all the other girls dancing in a synchronized fashion, with the exception of Peridot, who just kinda did her own thing. Lapis watched her from the swaying crowd, trying her best not to be swept into the practical mosh pit. She laughed as she saw her green counterpart, having a blast on the stage, strumming away at her Ukulele with reckless abandon. She wasn't doing very well, of course, but she was having fun, and the crowd seemed to enjoy her enthusiasm.

"Want a drink?" Lapis heard a voice say from behind her. As she turned, she saw that it was a man in swim shorts, holding a tray of clear-glassed drinks. He smiled brightly at her, one that resembled the way Peridot would smile in those odd moments when she felt a tinge of happiness from merely completing her everyday tasks.

"What... what for?" The watery gem asked, stepping away from the waving crowd.

"Just to make sure you have a good time. Free of charge." he said. Lapis smirked for a moment, reveling in the thought.

"In that case," She responded, "Can I have two? One for my friend."

"Of course!" the man responded, kneeling. "Here, just grab them."

Lapis grabbed two of the glasses, ushering a few thank yous to the man, looking back to the stage, Peridot on one knee strumming her ukulele wildly. Lapis chuckled, taking a sip of one of the drinks, noting its bitter yet tangy flavor. It wasn't quite unpleasant, but the burning sensation in the back of her throat off-set her a bit. She glanced around the crowd, seeing that many of the participants were drinking similar drinks themselves. She thought that perhaps it must have been because they were free of charge. And with that thought, she took another sip, a tingle coming to her lips.

Before she knew it, she was cheering on her small lover.

"Go Peri! Go Peri!" She yelled, tipsily swaying back and forth, feet stumbling. One drink was already downed, and the other was half empty because of the spillage caused by Lapis's uncertain movements.

On the stage, Peridot looked down to Lapis, seeing her cheers and how happy she was. It made her happy to see her having a good time, but eager to get to her. Her wish was answered quickly as the intermission came. She grinned as the crowd cheered the group on, and for a moment, she understood the stories Greg told her in their brief moments together. He was rather awkward about talking about those times to her, but she understood why. At least- now she did. Staring down at Lapis, she knew what it meant to love someone, to miss someone. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her.

She turned to leave the stage, the thickish girl from earlier giving her a round of applause. The engineer stepped eagerly off of the stage and toward her.

"I absolutely loved your performance, hon!" she said, clapping her hands together. She patted Peridot's head, speaking further. "Maybe you'd want to go again?"

"Well, if you insist... I suppose I could let you revel in my greatness further-" Peridot said, but shook her head and stopped quickly. "No- I'm sorry. I need to get back to someone."

The girl nodded. "That's fine hon. You come back any time, ya hear?"

Peridot nodded, stepping down from the somewhat elevated platform and strafing around the crowd, searching for Lapis. She was at the edge, holding the now empty cups, talking to a somewhat awkward, thin boy.

"My grfnd ish uhp ther- wai- where she gu?" Lapis sputtered, giggling with each word before she realised that Peridot was no longer on stage. Upon this conclusion, she looked frantically around her, spotting Peridot as she moved toward her, grabbing at her arms.

"Are you okay?" The smaller gem asked quirkily. Lapis didn't offer a response, but she did give her a snugly wrapped hug. Under normal circumstances, she would have gladly accepted said hug, but the drunken Lapis reeked of some strange material and she wanted to get her away from these people and see what was going on.

"Lapis..." the green gem said, tugging at her. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

"Okii!" Lapis said, wings sprouting from her back as she jetted into the sky waveringly. The jolt caused Peridot to drop the Ukuelele, but her main concern was the flight.

"Lapis- You are in absolutely no condition to fly right now!" She yelled, squirming as they spiraled waveringly through the air.

"I'm goo... im..." Lapis said as her face grew a bit pale, and her expression a bit grim.

"Lapis? Lapis are you okay?" Peridot asked, placing her hands to her cheeks, examining the expression she wore. In a few seconds, Lapis's wavering flight path sent them straight into the roof of a small hotel. They hit the concrete hard, grunting from the pain that came with it. Peridot's backside burned from the friction of their crash, and the dust kicked up by their tumbling crept into her eyes, making her wince and rub them harshly.

"Lapis? Lapis?" She called out, trying to open her eyes- however she couldn't keep them open for long before wincing as her eyes watered immensely, trying to purge the dirt from their receptacles. She felt around for her, but all she could really feel was concrete. Her question as to where she was was answered as she heard the sound of heaving and a quiet splatter far enough away that she assumed that it was off the building.

After a few moments, Peridot was able to see through her watery eyes, just enough to see Lapis leaning over the edge. She crawled over to her, gripping at her arms as she heaved dryly again, slumping over in defeat. After a few cycles of that, she sat up, looking dully at Peridot.

"Oh... Diamonds..." She said, gripping her stomach. Peridot looked worriedly at her, gripping her arm tighter.

"Lapis- what the heck was that?!" She said, blinking away the last of the dirt. "What is wrong with you- you're..."

"Drank... something... weird..." Lapis said, now hunching over while grippig at her stomach. It didn't take long for Peridot to know what she was talking about. She had seen it in several of the films that they had stored away at the barn.

"You're kidding me- you got drunk?" She said dully, putting a hand to her head. "But how did you get drunk that fast- I was under the assumption that it took more than just one drink- and took more than just a few minutes to get to THAT level..."

Lapis closed her eyes, leaning over the edge of the roof and dry heaving once more, gripping her stomach tightly. The engineer shook her head, sighing at her.

"Lapis..." She whispered, making sure that she was done heaving before pulling her head into her lap. The watery gem looked up at her, shielding her eyes from the glare shining off of her visor. The sun was gone now, and only the light of the moon hung over them- though that light was enough to aggravate Lapis's eyes.

"Perhaps it's a gem's metabolism." The green gem said lowly. "I suppose that since we aren't really meant to eat or drink... things have a greater or perhaps sped up effect on us... Your body must have instantly absorbed all of the alcohol... Geez, Lapis.."

Lapis turned to her side, curling up slightly with her head still propped in Peridot's lap. Whether it was from embarrassment, anger, shame, or just general feeling-like-crap, she couldn't tell.

"Rest." Peri said quietly, petting her head. "I'll call Steven and see if he knows what to do."

She reached for the phone in the backpack, but what she pulled back was a sad excuse for a pile of rubble. Its screen was shattered, and the whole thing was generally just crumpled to the point of no repair. She let out an audible sigh.

"Great." She said, throwing it off of the roof. "I guess we won't be talking to Steven."

Peridot's voice was incredibly heated, obviously annoyed. It was a side of her that Lapis hadn't quite seen yet, and it made her feel like utter trash for causing the situation. She didn't apologize for the simple idea of preserving her pride, but the quickly fading drunkenness she had built up brought her closer and closer to understanding what she had done, and how it had probably ruined Peridot's good time.

As the last of her buzz faded, she sunk desperately into her lap, forcing her eyes shut as hard as she could, not quite to the brink of tears, but highly upset. Peridot saw this, and sighed, pulling Lapis up from her lap. Much to her surprise, she hugged her gently.

"Sorry- I didn't mean to... y'know." The green gem said, rubbing her back. Lapis's heart sunk at the fact that she had inadvertently made Peridot apologize for her own wrongdoing. Her fists clenched as she brought them up to her head, placing one tightly to the back of her neck and one to her shoulder.

"Shut up." She said lowly, bringing Peri tightly into a brash, hungover kiss. Of course, to the little green gem, it mattered not at what state the kiss was given. It only matterd that it made her entire body shudder with delight.

They held the kiss for some time, both tugging at one another and gripping to bits of clothing and limbs. As soon as one kiss ended, another began, and they sat that way for more than a few minutes, returning each kiss with another, holding each other in a solid embrace in the cool night air.

"I love you." Lapis said in-between kisses, desperately inching forward with each touch of their lips.

"I love you, too." Peridot responded cooly, indulging herself for a few moments longer.

Their make out session was interrupted by the sound of rushing water. Lapis's head jerked up strongly to see what exactly it was. A giant hand, made enirely of the liquid was coming down upon them. Thinking quickly, Lapis quickly strafed backward, Peridot in her arms. The sudden jolt made her eep as she had ealier, but she didn't complain as she saw the hand narrowly miss them and crush part of the roof.

"What the-?!" The green gem yelled, spinning around to see the source of the hand, a Lapis Lazuli on the edge of the building.

Tol's brow furrowed slightly after seeing Lapis's successful dodge. She was hoping to poof and grind them with little to no trouble, but she could see that this wasn't going to go as planned.

"Who... what?" Lapis said, quickly, placing Peridot down. "What are you doing?"

Tol scoffed. "You must really be an idiot if you can't realize when someone's trying to KILL YOU!" She yelled as she brought the hand up again. Lapis quickly countered this by using her own water manipulation powers to stop the hand. She strained visibly against it, glancing to Peridot.

"D-do... something!" She said, obviously straining against Tol's force.

"R-right!" Peridot yelled, reaching for her gem. Appearing from her cloak form, another Peridot, of whom now had limb enhancers, kicked her square in the forehead, shattering her visor and sending her tumbling backwards and off of the roof, down to the parking lot and onto the top of a car, caving in the roof and activating the car alarm.

"Peri!" Lapis yelled, losing concentration for a moment, just long enough for Tol to break through her grasp on the water, hand, sending it right down on top of her. She gasped and threw her arms up, catching the hand at the palm as it came crashing down, causing her feet to crush into the concrete of the roof a bit. Her struggle to repel the hand became easier as she glared at Tol. Tol was visibly straining, to Lapis's surprise. She was stronger than her- that meant she had a chance-

Her thought was interrupted as Smol's limb enhancer shot out a small energy beam, causing her to yelp and wince in pain, the hand overtaking her and slamming her through the roof and into a hotel room, luckily landing on the bed. The residents of said room had already evacuated and were running down the street, as far away from the alien psychos who were recklessly tearing up the whole damn building.

"Peri.." She groaned, sloppily shooting up, her body aching from the force of the impact. She headed for the door, but Smol hopped down, a gem destabalizer coming from her hand, and charged at her from behind. Lapis quickly ducked, and the clumsy Smol tripped over her and crashed through the weak wooden door.

Lapis used this opportunity to jump outside, to the parking lot, and land next to Peridot, who was still recovering from her fall. She glanced to Lapis, reaching for her, but the watery hand once again came crashing down, grabbing Peridot and picking her up.

"Hey!" Lapis yelled furiously, using her water manipulation powers to hold the hand in place. "Put her down, or I swear, I'll grind you to dust!"

"Our thoughts exactly!" Smol said, grabbing Lapis by the arm and throwing her across the parking lot, sending her crashing into the wall of the hotel.

Peridot squirmed in the grasp of Tol, wincing with the pain that came from being slowly crushed.

"S-stop!" She yelled, slowly being engulfed by the water. Tol didn't listen, but instead squeezed harder. It took much more effort than she thought it would- It was as if she had been poofed this way before, and her body had hardened in response. Quite frankly, it was really pissing her off.

She tried her hardest to squeeze, but a larger water hand, coming directly from the ocean, came from behind and hit her off the roof, making her lose her concentration, and therefore, her grip on Peridot. Peridot hit the ground, gasping and looking out to the parking lot, where Lapis dodged the attacks of both gems, glancing up to Peridot. The engineer pulled from her head her dual blasters, firing at the two fakers as best as she could, but they were moving too fast.

"We need to go! Now!" Lapis said, jetting up out of the parking lot and onto the roof, where she grabbed Peridot, who was panting heavily and trembling lightly. She flew straight up on watery wings, but Smol had anticipated this, and crouched, shooting a thin energy beam directly from her limb enhancers to Lapis's gem on her back, instantly cracking it, causing her wings to dissipate at approximately 200 meters up. Lapis cried out in pain as Peridot gripped at her, fright in her eyes.

" ** _Lapis_**!" Peridot yelled shrilly, tears welling in her eyes as she hoped to all that was good that she had not been shattered. They began to fall, Peridot holding tightly onto her. They reached the ground in a matter of seconds, crashing into the grass just next to the parking lot, a jumble of pain and bruises. Tol and Smol approached them, menacingly at that, seeing that they had, indeed, defeated the gems.

Peridot's eyes blurrily focused on one thing ad one thing only- Lapis. Her eyes were shut tightly, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as the pain of a freshly shattered gem coarsed through her body. For a moment, Peridot felt sadness, an unbelievable wave of melancholy that hung in her chest like a heavy blade. Then, she felt nothing but untamed fury, rage that anyone would dare lay a finger on her. Then resentment, for herself, for failing to keep her safe. Then, one last time, that same fury built in her chest, and through a flurry of her own tears, she turned toward the Lapis and Peridot who had attacked them.

"Leave us _**ALONE!**_ " She screamed, throwing her arm out at them. The resultant of that action was one of the nearby cars coming a few inches off the ground, and slamming the two against the ground. The sudden car made Peridot flinch, but she still saw the opportunity to get Lapis to safety. She picked her up with all the might she could muster, carrying her to a nearby yellow car, placing her harshly into the front seat passenger side, hoping in the driver's side herself. She stared at the wheel, panicking as she realized that she didn't have a key.

"Oh- Oh... please, please..." She whispered, ducking and fiddling with the car wires.

Tol and Smol pried the car off of themselves, panting heavily.

"What kind of a Peridot is this?" Smol asked demandingly. "She can summon blasters AND manipulate metal?"

"It doesn't matter. We still have to take them out." Tol said coldly. "Hurry, get them. I... I think I'm spent."

Tol collapsed to her knees, wincing as her wounds began to ache.

"Figures. I've got it." Tol said, getting on one knee and squinting as the car cranked, finally.

"Aha!" Peridot yelled, stomping on the gas pedal, struggling to see ahead of the wheel. However, she wasn't looking at the road for the moment anyway. As she drove hurriedly away, her gaze drifted worriedly to Lapis, who opened her eyes slowly, both of which had become reflectant. They were like two mirrors affixed to her head, and the gaze that was emitted from them was eerie and dull at best.

"Lapis.. your... eyes..." Peridot whispered, reaching for her. Though, as she did, a blast from Tol's enhancer hit the back wheel, blowing it out. Instinctively, Peridot stomped on the breaks, swerving to the right. The force from all three of the actions at once caused the whole car to tumble and flip four or five times in the street, flinging the unbuckled passengers all around the cab. When the car finally settled, it was upside down, and Peridot's whole body shot with pain every breath she took- however, only one thing was on her mind.

As she opened her eyes, she saw that she was in what used to be the front of the car, which was little more than a flaming tin can, now. She blurrily saw Lapis shining in the equally crumpled back seat, and so, through the pain, she crawled to her.

"Lapis..." She whispered, her vision coming back to her. Lapis didn't speak, she merely reverted to her gem form, which was little more than a cracked shell. Peridot breathed in heavily, grabbing the gem and pulling it close to her.

 _"I'm sorry."_ She whispered waveringly. _"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."_

The engine began to pop and crackle- and from her experience with human machinery, she knew what would soon happen next. Overcoming the sharp pain that afflicted her, she crawled toward the exit, right as the car exploded sending itself and it's contents out in all directions, the sturdy Peridot gripping Lapis included. They landed in the shore water not too far off, as Peridot's vision faded for the last time, this time to dark- to unconsciousness.

* * *

 **My, my, this was fun to write! It's currently VERY late, though. Also, Gem Harvest came out today! I need to watch it, dammit!**

 **Thank you so much for your continued support, leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter!**

 **PM me if you want an OC to feature!**

 **Thank you so much, guys!**


	5. Don't Let Me Down

Peridot's eyes fluttered open, blocked by the swishing water that surround her. Daylight breached the shallow pool, glittering beautifuly through its layers. Though, Peridot did not panic, she simply layed down , feeling the sand sit firmly around her. Events from the previous night swirled in her head- of the party, of the people, of Lapis. The memory of how a moment turned to disaster, and how they were drastically undermined- beaten. She still held Lapis's gem in her hand, of which was in one piece. She held it closer to her chest, thanking whatever she could that Lapis was still in tact. Had she been shattered, Peridot would have never known what to do with herself.

She rubbed Lapis's gem gently with her thumb, a tinge of sadness and defeat hanging solemnly over her. She had failed to protect her. With all her might, she couldn't even muster the capability to defend herself. She was disappointed in herself- Hell, downright angry, but she stayed calm, gazing ahead through several feet of water to look at the hanging sun. It shined incandescently, burning with such an outright passion that Peridot had thought that she matched at one point, but looking at herself now, she didn't seem so reliable- so great- so lovable.

She sat up quickly, water swishing around her, her hair a mess from freely floating around. There was no time to sulk around in her own self-pity. She needed to get Lapis to saftey. Although, she supposed that the attacking gems must have already left, being as their displacement into the shoreline's water must have hidden them. She figured the attackers took them for dead- but one thing still puzzled her.

"Why?" She thought. "HOW? How did they know where we were? Why did they attack so strategically as to sneak up on us? Homeworld isn't one for discrepancy- they come in hard and loud, and knock all opposition away..."

She thought about the gems for a moment, noting their stealth, and who they were. A Lapis and Peridot, who must have been observing them from afar, else they would not have been able to sneak up on them. A Homeworld ship was far too obvious to simply pilot above their heads at night.

"My... diamonds..." She thought to herself, eyes widening with realization. "Those clods want to replace us!"

Of course! If they had known about them, they probably knew about the rest of the Crystal Gems as well, and possibly their relation with them. She had to warn them of the potential attackers, so, at that moment, Peridot spun around, reaching in her cheeseburger backpack for the phone Steven had given to them. However, it was not there, and the memory of the drunken Lapis shattering the phone shot through her mind. She grunted in fury, but then sighed. Even if Lapis had not broken it, it would have been ruined from the ten feet of saltwater that surrounded them.

Peridot stood up completely, stepping slowly out of the water, soaking wet onto the sandy shore. She looked out at the road close by, and to the wreckage of the vehicle they had stolen. It was nothing more than a burnt crisp now, being investigated by the local law enforcement. They looked puzzled, as no body was found in the wreck, as if the car had no one present at the time of the explosion. Peridot didn't may them much mind, however. She didn't care about them at the moment. All of her care, her worry- it was placed into the gem she held so gently in her hands. Lapis.

Peridot didn't expect her to reform any time soon. She had seen gems with lesser injuries take days on end to regenerate. As for Lapis, not only had she been gravely injured in her physical form, but her gem took a massive, almost fatal impact, so Peridot expected it to take some time for her. She searched the soaked backpack for something to wrap her in, and to her satisfaction, found a black hoodie. She placed Lapis's gem inside the jacket, swirling it around her in a protective manner, tucking her safely into the folds of the backpack.

"It's okay." She said quietly to the isolated gem, rubbing it one last time with her thumb. "This time, I won't let anything hurt you."

Peridot zipped up the backpack, hoping that her statement held at least a fabric of truth.

And so she tredged on, past the police investigation, pondering on a way to get off the island. She needed to warn Steven, but the body of water known as the sea stretched miles and miles, making it nearly impossible to just walk under. She had arrived via Lapis's watery wings, but seeing as she was no longer with her, there was no real way for her to simply jet into the sky and fly back to Beach City. In reality, she was stuck here while the imposters were likely on the Gems's doorstep.

Peridot rubbed her weary eyes through her visor, guilt seeping into her subconscious like the morning light through a prison cell window. Not only had she almost gotten Lapis killed with her inability to hold her own in combat, but she had inadvertently put the Crystal Gems in danger. She couldn't help but blame herself, but she knew that she couldn't let that stop her.

Peridot's train of thought was interrupted by the meekly voice of a thin boy.

"Hey! Hey!" The boy yelled, trotting up to her with a concerned look in his eye. Peridot looked him up and down, noting his odd shirt and beige pants style. His black har came to his shoulders, and in his hand he held a ukulele. Steven's Ukulele.

Peridot snatched the instrument from his hands as he approached, fury welling in her chest.

"How did you get this?" She yelled at him, bringing it close to her. "This is MINE- well, it's a friend's, but why do you have it?! Do you think you can steal from me? What kind of an iredescant clod do you take me for?!"

The boy was a bit taken aback by her words. He stood as she yelled at him, stunned- even appalled, but he let her finish. As she ended her sentence, he could feel Peridot's eyes burning through him, so with a slight of hand he spoke.

"I was... just returnin' it to ya. You dropped it at the party last night, 'member?" he said, trying to pacify the engineer. And- he was successful. After hearing those words, she recalled the events leading up to Lapis's drunken flight, sulking down onto the concrete. She let out a sigh, gripping the instrument as if it were the last fiber of hope she held onto.

"Right. I remember." She said lowly, crossing her legs. The boy looked a bit confused as he looked around.

"Where's the other one?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Other one?" Peridot answered, scoffing. "You mean Lapis?"

The boy shrugged, pulling from his pocket a smart phone, and showing Peridot a selfie he had taken with the watery gem. The picture was a bit blurred from the movement, and in the picture Lapis was drunkenly posing, winking with her drinks in hand. Peridot reached for the phone in a sort of longing way, the weight of being separated from her new love weighing on her particularly hard.

"Yeah." She muttered. "That's her."

The boy tucked his phone into his pocket. For a moment Peridot had the idea to call and alert Steven from his phone, but she did not know his number. She had never directly called him, she had only received one such call.

"She wit'cha?" He asked, looking around.

"What do you think, you Clod? Does it look like she's with me? Why do you care, anyway?" Peridot hissed, her frustration showing immensley. The boy simply chuckled, trying to shrug off her harsh tone.

"Jus' wanted to ask 'er on a date, y'know?"

Peridot glanced up at him, clenching her hands tightly around the instrument.

"She's taken." Peridot said plainly, crossing her arms. The boy nodded, grunting.

"Ah, ja, I shoulda known, y'know? Who's the lucky guy?"

"I- am the lucky girl."

The boy laughed lightly, holding out his hand.

"Alright. ja! Congratulation!"

Peridot didn't shake his hand, she just kept staring at the ground.

"Erm, What's your name?" He asked, squatting next to her. Peridot replied simply. "Peridot."

"My name's Marcus. It's nice to meetcha."

Marcus squatted awkwardly in silence for a moment, scratching the back of his head as Peridot brewed up an answer.

"I suppose so." She replied, sitting up again. Marcus shook his head lightly as she did and looked into her green eyes.

"' 'Ey, whassa matter?" he asked, sitting criss cross in front of her. Peridot's eyes met his for a moment, a certain measure of sadness behind them.

"I... we need to get off this island." She began. "Lapis and I, We got into some trouble, and now our friends are going to be in trouble if we can't warn them."

"What kinna trouble?" Marcus inquired.

"I don't expect you to understand." Peridot said, shifting uneasily. "You see- we're not... from here."

"Lemme stop ja right there-" he said. "I know exactly whatcha are, y'know? Yousa gem. Ailen girls an digz, ja?"

Peridot perked up, looking at him with an extreme strikingness.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Am I wrong?"

"No- you're... How did you know?"

Marcus took a deep breath, chuckling. "I know a gem, too. She live here longer den I been livin'."

"What is... who is she?"

"We call 'er Jewel."

Jewel. An odd name for a gem indeed. The word "Jewel" Indicated a somewhat modified gem. Peridot doubted that she was, but it was clearly not the name of her actual gem, unless homeworld had found a knew gem recipe and just called it "Jewel."

No, Peridot thought, That would be stupid. That is stupid. Homeworld is... stupid.

Marcus interrupted her thought once more, all the same as Lapis used to.

"I'm sure she'd understan' whas goin' on, She might help ja too, y'know?"

He was right. She had little choice, as well. She could acquire this gem's assistance, and get home before the homeworld gems had a chance to root out the Crystal Clods from the inside out, or she could stay stranded on the island and quite possibly doom all of her friends.

"Take me to her." Peridot said abruptly. "Post haste."

The walk there was short, but strenuous, as the tree-house of which Jewel resided in was dangling off the side of the mountain. Wooden bridges intertwined between other shelters of its kind, setting a sort of village far above the people below's heads. Jewel's hut was made of solid birch wood, treated to keep the termites away. The patio in front of the hut was rather large, holding a beach chair and an umbrella, and the roof was oddly made of cobblestone. Marcus stopped on the bridge before the patio, waving.

"She don't like me prowlin' 'round her property. I seeya, ja? Tell 'er Marcus sentcha."

Marcus turned tail and walked away, much to Peridot's disarray. She glanced back and forth between him and the hut for a moment before letting out a very audible sigh, knocking on the door.

"One moment!" A feminine voice called from inside. "I'll be right out!"

Peridot waited for her. She tapped her foot as seconds turned to minutes, and she knocked again.

"Just a moment!" the voice called again, this time a bit more hasty, as footsteps scurried to the door. It opened swiftly, and standing behind it was a very tall, very thin Pearl. A silver pearl at that. Her hair extended shortly behind her shoulders, and she wore a large smile matched only by the size of her nose. Peridot stepped back, noting how intimidating she looked at first glance.

"OH, you're a gem!" She said, crouching down. "Whatcha doin' here on my doorstep, little buddy?"

Peridot scoffed, looking at her.

"Marcus... sent me." She mumbled.

"Oh! Then you're a friend! Come on in, I was jus' cookin' up some stew."

The Pearl's accent was odd. It was as if her homeworld accent had blended in with that of the locals from years of residence and interaction. Though, Peridot guessed she didn't find it so strange, since the accents of fusions changed dynamically between different types of gems.

"I don't have time." Peridot answered. "I need to get off the island and back to Beach City."

"Nonscence." Jewel said lightly. "'aint nothin' worth doin' on an empty stomach."

"Gems don't need to eat." Peridot grumbled, shifting in place. "Listen-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Jewel said playfully, her ashen hair swaying with every movement of her shoulders. "I won't hear it. Not 'till ya got some food in ya. It's just good manners to feed your guests."

Peridot stepped in quickly, seeing that she had little choice but to comply with her demands if she wanted her help. She trotted down to the table, setting the damp backpack on the floor. The hut was small, but complete. There were two straw beds next to a cobblestone fireplace, which held the cooking pot over it. The dining room was simple, as it was just a table.

"You're 'tings are wet, lemme put 'em by the fire-" Jewel said, reaching for the backpack.

"N-no!" Peridot rebounded swiftly, pulling it closer to her chair. "N...no. Please, don't touch it."

Jewel backed off, nodding in understanding as she grabbed two bowls out of a cubby next to the fire. She filled each one with the veggie stew, placing them on the table as she sat respectively in front of the little green gem.

"Eat up," She said, licking her lips as she grabbed the bowl and started to slurp down the stew. Peridot looked down at hers, offput by the brown color and lack of spoon, but she wanted her help as soon as possible, so she forced herself to down the stew, of which actually tasted very, very delightful.

Both of the gems put down their bowls at the same time, looking at each other for a moment.

"It was very good." Peridot said, wiping her mouth. "Thank you."

"Want seconds?" Jewel asked, grabbing her plate.

"Nono, I really must-"

"Can't have you on a half full stomach now, can we!" Jewel interrupted, scooping more stew into both bowls, setting them down. Peridot put her fingers to her eyes in frustration.

"I really need to-"

"Ah-ah-ah! We can talk buisiness after you're full!" The tall gem said as she gulped down her second bowl of stew.

Peridot merely groaned, looking at it dully.

This... might take a while.

* * *

Tol and Smol made their way quietly through the woods, the click clack of Smol's limb enhancers pitter pattering through the falling autumn leaves. They walked in silence for a bit before Tol spoke up.

"Why aren't we flying over there?" Smol said aloud. "We should be completing the task at hand, getting there, and grinding those fools.

Tol rolled her eyes, brushing a few strands of hair away from them.

"You know, you're smart, but you have no common sense." Tol hissed, nudging Smol lightly.

"One- I'm injured. My body needs to reconstitute itself further before I can fly long distances. I pushed myself too hard in that fight. Two- You realize that Lapis and Peridot were on a vacation, right? If we plan on replacing them, then we need to give it some time, and come back in about... I'd say about 30 planetary ratations."

Smol grunted. A whole month of time to do whatever just because they couldn't go back immediatley. She admitted that coming back after the gems had only been gone for a few days would seem a bit off-putting, if not suspicious, but she was still anxious to grind them.

"Also, Smol..." Tol said, grinning widley as she put emphasis on the second word.

"Don't call me small." The green gem said back, typing a message into her keypad.

"It's our mission names," Tol said dramatically, throwing her arm over her eyes. "I simply HAVE to- you see? I am forced to call you-"

"Oh, shut up..." Smol said, ducking away.

The Lapis Lazuli grinned. "You know, you'll have to remove those limb enhancers to blend in as their Peridot, right?"

"I Don't have to take them off yet." She replied, sitting down suddenly. Tol tilted her head, sitting in front of her.

"Why have we stopped?"

"To rest." Smol said plainly. "You need it, so let's just sit down."

Tol smirked.

"D'aw, look at you, caring about little old me." She siad, chuckling.

Smol looked away, crossing her arms. "Just don't want you working yourself to the point that I'd have to brief a whole new Lapis just to complete the mission."

"Mhm." The water gem mumbled, leaning against the tree. "Sure."

* * *

 **Happy Thanksgiving guys! Today we rejoice in being happy that Lapidot is almost cannon, as of Gem Harvest. I mean- they basically have a kid now, I don't even need them to do anything else. They might as well be married.**

 **Anyway, Thanks for reading, and tell me whatcha think!**

 **Jewel belongs to lexboss**

 **There's room for another OC! If you want in, PM me.**


	6. It's Over, Isn't It?

After the fourth bowl or so, Peridot couldn't down any more of Jewel's stew. She was full- and she felt as if she were on the verge of popping. Jewel hummed happily as she finished the remainder of the stew, wiping her mouth cleanly. She patted her belly lightly, staring at Peridot with lazy, half-lidded eyes.

"Now, whatcha need?" Jewel said, smiling brightly.

"I need... a..." Peridot stopped a moment to burp, then continued. "I need to get back to Beach City."

"Oh! Need a ride?" She asked, tilting her tall, long head. "That 'aint nothin'!"

"That's... the thing." Peridot explained. "You see, it... it's a long ride."

"How far? Couple islands over? Few miles?" the tall gem asked.

"No see- I..." Peridot began, trailing off for a moment as she looked to the backpack that held her lover's gem, a wave of guilt washing through her veins. "I... flew in here. It's... well, on the shore of the mainland. My friends there are in imminent danger, and I need to warn them."

The silver pearl took a moment to comprehend what she had said, but as she did she grew more excited and smiled at Peridot, nodding.

"Danger, eh? They humans, or gems?" She asked.

"They're... a bit of both." the engineer said with a bit of hurry in her voice. "But regardless, I need to leave urgently."

Jewl nodded, looking around as she thought for a few moments. She paced from one end to another, packing small things into a little bag.

"Gems- helpin' gems. That's how it works, ja? I'll getcha home."

"R-really?" Peridot asked, gripping her own hands. "So... so we can leave as soon as possible, then?"

"Chya!" The tall gem replied, smiling. "Meet me down by tha shore, huh? By the festival docks."

"Yes! Yes of course!" Peridot yelled, picking up her backpack and opening the door. "I-i'll wait for you there!"

She stepped out of the elevated house, making her way down the boardwalks as the sun began to lower in the evening sky. She was estatic that Jewel had decided to help with almost no convincing needed at all, and that she hardly asked any questions. Under normal circumstances, she would have answered any number of them and even issued her own, but she was in quite the rush. It wasn't long before she reached the bottom, clear of both Jewel and any humans nearby. The grass tickled her feet trough her socks, but she paid it no mind as she took a moment to gaze at the sky slowly fade to a bronze-ish color.

"The sunset..." Peridot whispered. "Lapis, the-"

She stopped immediately once she remembered exactly who she was talking to, another shot of bad feeling rushing through her. She couldn't stand to be away from her for so long, especially with her gem near-shattered. Thankfully, she hoped, Lapis couldn't feel the pain anymore. Hopefully, she was simply resting, unaware of the danger Peridot was facing and their friends were in. She hoped that they truly thought they were shattered, and that they wouldn't be attacked anymore, lest Lapis take any more damage.

Setting her thoughts aside, the green dorito walked out of the wooded area, and toward the festival grounds, pulling Lapis's gem from her pack and holding it in her hand. The stared at it for a moment, the tears that her eyes held beginning to make their way out, though she tried to keep them dormant. She rubbed its jagged edged with her thumb, letting out a little sigh as she did.

"It's... it's over, isn't it, Lapis?" She asked the gem, her gaze shifted down to her. "What if we can't get back in time? What if you're not... okay? What if I... If I..."

Peridot gulped as she approached the festival grounds, the docks in sight.

"No... no, I can fix this." She said, lifting her head with a bit of hesitance. "Everyone's fate rests in my hands now."

Just that thought made Peridot uneasy as she imagined the number of ways anything could go wrong on her quest back home. What if she took too long? What if she were attacked again? Nothing made her feel better about the whole ordeal.

"I ... wish you were here to provide me some form of consolidation." She whispered, setting foot on the wooden docks that would serve as her meeting point with Jewel. She knew that the pearl would have to take a bit of time to prepare, so she sat down at the docks and sighed, looking out and holding the gem tightly.

"I just..." Peridot whispered. "I just want a hug. Is that too much to ask for?" She lifted her head drearily to the rapidly darkening sky, a single tear falling from her eye and onto Lapis's reverted form. "Just... just let this all be a dream... just reform already... just let me touch you!"

The sea shook lightly with the waves it produced, but alas no answer came to Peridot. Lapis stayed reverted, Jewel was still preparing, her friends were still in danger, and the sun would still set in an hour or so. That's the way it was, as the world would not stop just because Peridot willed it so. She had to come to terms quickly with the fact that she might never see Lapis reform again if she didn't become dedicated to getting her home.

"With Jewel," Peridot whispered, sniffling and regaining her composure, "I can get you help. I can get you healed..."

At least, she hoped so. For now, all she could do was wait for Jewel to show up.

* * *

Smol typed a few commands into her pad, the crew quarters of the ship empty, as they were all doing other things. She had gotten beamed up to give Lapis some rest, but decided to use their down time productively as she studied their targets, the Crystal Gems. With pure technological skill, she hacked into the extremely unsophisticated network of cameras around Beach City, observing the streets in case they came into sight. All she saw, though, were those worthless humans that dotted the streets.

"Damn humans.." Smol muttered to herself, shaking her head. "They serve no purpose... no directive. They're just... living there."

"Weird, isn't it?" Tol called from behind her, startling the Peridot.

"Hyagh!" She shouted, jumping. "Lapis! You're supposed to be resting your physical form!"

"So what?" Tol replied, sitting next to her. "I can rest in here. At least something will be happening."

Smol scoffed, looking at the monitors once again. She mumbled a few things under her breath, presumably about the Lapis next to her, though she didn't mind.

"Are you studying them?" the blue gem asked.

"No, I'm looking for the Crystal Gems." the green gem replied.

"Well, change cameras. Stop watching that one street." Tol said, nudging Smol.

"Fine, whatever."

Smol began to switch cameras, turning to the next one, in an arcade. Humans inside were playing the games, eating, and generally having a good time.

"Next." Tol muttered. Smol changed it again. This time, the picture was of a little boy feeding the ducks.

"Next." A video feed of an arrest.

"Neeeext."

Smol sighed and began to flip through the cameras, only giving a second or two for Tol to look at each feed. After a few moments, the Lapis nudged her.

"Hold up! Hold up!" She yelled, causing the engineer to pause and rub her side.

"What? See them?"

"No, I..." the blue gem muttered, looking to the screen. On it, Sadie and Lars were sitting on a bench just outside a jewlery store. They talked for a bit, looking in different directions, a slight red tint to their cheeks. Slowly, Lars slid his hand onto Sadie's, intertwining their fingers, much to the embarrassment of both parties.

"They're acting the same way that the Lapis and Peridot acted." Tol said. "Similarly, at least."

"Yeah, so what?" Smol asked.

"So, is that, like.. a way to show affection?"

"From my study on their behavior, as well as our previous targets... I believe so. Either way, it's disgusting, don't you think?" the green gem said.

"Heh... yeah." Tol replied, looking away from the screen. She looked instead to Smol, who huffed.

"I need to run diagnostics on my limb enhancers after that battle." She said. "I'll be in my quarters."

The gem stood up, looking to the Lapis.

"You'll be alright here?"

"Oh, hush. I'll be fine, go." Tol muttered. Smol simply nodded to her, stepping off. The water gem watched as she walked away before she turned back on the monitor, the two humans still locking hands and now looking to each other, blushing vividly and talking back and forth. Tol watched them for a moment longer, processing what she was seeing before reacting.

"Hmm..." She mused lowly, looking at her hands. Without another word, she put them together, glancing up at the couple every now and again for point of reference as she locked her hands together, intertwining her fingers.

"Affection." She said simply as she sat there in the dark deck, holding her own hands. "Humans... The Lapis and the Peridot..."

For a moment longer, she thought over what she had been seeing, and she watched the feed once more.

"They must... love each other, no?" She whispered. "I... I'm not sure if I know what... that's like at all."

* * *

 _ **Hey, guys. I doubt anyome cares about this anymore, but leaving it alone and unfinished has been bothering me for a while now. I changed a bit of the plot, and I'm trying to get it done now. Thanks to everyone who supports me, this series, and Lapidot.**_

 _ **Honestly, I'll be surprised if anyone remembers this at all, but if you do, let me know.**_


	7. On Weary Waters

_The sun shone brightly through the trees as Lapis and Peridot sat under the forest trees, red and ripe with autumn. The leaves fell between them and onto the sheet between them. They were lying on the before-mentioned sheet, looking upward into the falling leaves at the bronzing evening sky. They held each other's hand as they did so, keeping quiet as the birds chirped in the trees. Only after those few moments of quiet contemplation did they speak._

 _"So, how many different planets have you visited before Earth?" Peridot asked, her voice quiet and tranquil._

 _"Hmmm... five. No, six." the blue gem replied. "Besides Earth. How about you?"_

 _"Pheh. A whole lot." the engineer replied somewhat snarkily, her nasily chuckle echoing through the trees._

 _"Oh, show-off." she said, nudging her side. Peridot only smiled at her. The two lied still for a bit longer before Peridot sat up._

 _"This is... perfect." She whispered. "Being with you. I'm so glad that we went traveling together."_

 _"So am I." Lapis cooed, sitting up with her and sliding her head into Peridot's lap, of which she help up and rubbed her cheek lovingly. She let out a little giggle as Lapis stuck her tongue out playfully at her._

 _"But, you know..." Lapis said, her expression morphing from that of love and happiness to that of seriousness and sadness. "It's all going to have to come to and end, soon."_

 _"Huh?" Peridot muttered. "Why? We don't have any prior obligation."_

 _"We're going to have to go home. I'll need your help." the blue gem said as she looked up at her, a slight smile bracing her lips as her hue began to change._

 _"Help... you..?" The green gem whispered, holding her head tightly. "What are you talking about? You..."_

 _As Peridot spoke, the scene before them changed, the grass turning from a bright, lively green to a cold, hard, grey concrete as the trees became the shapes of buildings, crumbling around them. Lapis's eyes closed, and when opened again, they were but mirrors._

 _"Help... me." Lapis whispered, to which Peridot's eyes widened in fright as she held her physical form until it poofed away, the gem falling into her hands._

 _"LAPIS!" She yelled, tears forming in her eyes as she began to breathe heavily._

* * *

"LAPIS!" Peridot shouted, jolting up from her seat on the small rowboat, effectively making short work of nearly flipping it over as Jewel balanced it, flinching a bit.

"Nah! Name's Jewel!" The pearl shouted back, her eyes squinting as she looked at the frightened gem. Peridot reached into the backpack on her back, feeling around for Lapis's gem. She felt it, of course, sighing in relief. The pearl across from her tilted her head.

"You alright, chyeah?" She asked the engineer, who took a few deep breaths, looking up to her large counterpart.

"What happened? I was... I was..."

"Dreaming, probably." Jewel answered. "Came outta your gem, but I couldn't see it. Too hard to hear it, neither."

Peridot sighed, looking out at the endless swaying waves of the ocean as she rubbed her eyelids, the events of the last few days weighing heavily on her. She grabbed her ukulele from the floor boards, strumming a few times.

"That's... probably for the best." She told her, the ukulele making a few coy notes before Jewel tilted her head. "I must thank you, though, for... bringing me home."

" 'Ain't a problem, ja." Jewel mused, looking to her as she rowed the boat doe north. Peridot was silent after that, and she looked quite distraught, so she decided to try and change the subject. "Ya play the ukulele?" She asked.

Peridot glanced at her for a moment before looking down at the instrument, giving a little sigh.

"I'm... not very good at it." She said, looking off. Jewel only gave a chuckle.

"Well that's fine. Jus' practice, ja?" she told her. "What madeja pick it up?"

The little green gem let out a sigh, looking off once more.

"My friend Steven gave it to me." She said aloud. "Though, I... wanted to write a song for someone. I wrote one once before, but I can't... play it."

"Lemme see." Jewel said to her, holding her hands out as she put the paddle inside the boat. Peridot stared at her for a moment before she complied to her request, giving her the instrument.

Jewel took a short breath as she got herself situated, strumming a few notes she knew. Each sounded beautiful and well crafted, lifetimes of experience playing quite clearly shown by her technique and ease of playing. She strummed what almost seemed ro be the instrumental to some kind of local folk song, but Peridot would never know. To her, it was pleasing to the nerves.

"You're very talented." She told Jewel, who laughed a bit and looked down at her.

"You could be, too, chyeah?" she told her. "Jus practice an..."

"And?" Peridot asked, to which Jewel shushed her, standing up and looking down at the water that enveloped the miles around them. Peridot didn't see much besides a small island off in the distance, so she was quite confused as to what Jewel's fuss was about. The pearl, however, was staring intently at the water, just before she sat down and began to paddle quickly.

"Little Peridot," She said quickly. "Grab your paddle. We need to get moving."

"What? What's wrong?"

"No time to explain, I-"

The rowboat shook with the force of the water wavering, and the green gem gripped the sides as Jewel began to try to paddle faster.

"W-what was that?" Peridot shouted, seizing up quite a bit. The gem didn't have time to answer before a large, serpent like creature arose from the water, causing a huge ripple that nearly tipped the rowboat over. Peridot let out a little yelp at the creature, barely making out four or five warped gems at different points of its body.

"A c-corrupted gem!" She yelled, fraught with fright.

"A corrupted fusion!" Jewel shouted after, drawing her weapon from her silver gem, a huge silver sword, probably around 5 feet long. Peridot eyed it for quite some time, still seizing up as Jewel hopped out of the boat, upward at least another 10 feet to grab onto the side of the gem, Peridot couldn't do much besides hang on with fright, but nonetheless seeing her jump so high brought a certain level of astonishment as her eyes shined in the sunlight.

"No... way..." She whispered to herself as the pearl began to scale the gem, of whom whipped and flicked around, rocking the boat even harder in an attempt to shake its attacker off.

"I can't hold on!" Peridot shouted as the boat nearly turned upside down.

"Jus' stay on for a little longer!" Jewel yelled as she pierced the gem, which flung her off with the sword still inside its body. Jewel landed directly onto the boat with enough force to flip it over, dunking them both underwater with little more than yelps and eeps.

As Peridot submerged, her backpack slid off her shoulders, floating down toward the sea floor, though so did Peridot, who knew not how to swim. She reached for the backpack, though as she did, the serpent gem swam past and swallowed the backpack whole before her eyes, causing the green gem to fly into a fit of rage, though Jewel grabbed her rapidly sinking body before she could do anything about it and swam to the surface, throwing the boat from its upside down position back into a right-side-up one.

"It's got my pack!" the green gem yelled, attempting to swim for it, though all she could do is flail in Jewel's grasp.

"If you want it back, then we need to poof it!" she yelled. Peridot thought for a moment as it breached the water again and she was thrown back into the boat, the towering serpent glaring down at her and opening its mouth, presenting the frightened gem with an opportunity as she thought that it was simply for Lapis. From her gem, she flicked her wrists, summoning her blasters and firing into the mouth of the creature, causing it to flinch back in pain as Jewel crawled into the shaking boat.

"If I can get my sword, I can poof it!" She yelled, to which Peridot thought quickly and formulated an idea.

"Is it made of a metal alloy?" She asked Jewel, who shrugged.

"It's a gem weapon. 'Aint nothin' but light." She said, to which Peridot shook her head.

"As long as it imitates a metal, I should..."

She lifted her small green hands as the serpent adjusted itself, pouncing for the boat. Just before its jaws engulfed them, though, Peridot flicked her wrists forward in a hopeful manner, using her metal manipulation to swipe it clean through the gem, nearly decapitating it, but dealing more than enough damage to poof the creature.

"I... I did it!" Peridot shouted as the gem's innards, her backpack included, and the gems that comprised it all fell into the ocean.

"We need to bubble them, ja?" Jewel said, standing up. "I'll be right back."

"Grab my pack, too!" Peridot shouted as Jewel simply nodded and jumped out of the boat and into the water, shaking the boat quite a bit with the force of her jump.

"Don't flip the boat again!" She grumbled, holding onto the sides. Jewel came up with each of the gems, prompting her to bubble them. She didn't know how (As in the plotline of this fic, Beta and Earthlings never happened.) so she simply sighed and waited for her.

Once Jewel finally brought them all up, she tossed in Peridot's backpack, much to her relief as she searched its contents, and then to her distraught as she saw that Lapis's gem was missing.

"What the?! Did you see anything else?" she asked Jewel, who shook her head.

"H-hold on, then! I've got to go down there!" she yelled, jumping into the water as Jewel watched her go, looking back into the boat with a huff.

"Didn't even bubble em..." Jewel muttered.

Under the water, Peridot's rapidly sinking body flailed about looking frantically for her lover.

"LAJDOFSPPGGRB!" She yelled, forgetting that speaking underwater was impossible. She shook her head for a moment after, shifting her body about as she slowly learned how to maneuver herself in the water. For the first minute or so, she was completely lost to where she could be, and beginning to feel hopeless, though she paddled deeper than she was before, hoping to see at least SOMETHING.

Then, she saw it, a glowing light in the midst of the darkness, shattered rays of light glitching through the water. Peridot quickly swam toward it, taking a good bit of time to actually get there as she grabbed the object. As soon as she did, the light began to fade at a slow pace, though stood for long enough for Peridot to make out that it was indeed Lapis's nearly shattered gem that had generated the light,

A feeling of relief washed through her veins as she sighed. She felt the gem with her thumbs for a moment as she sunk even deeper into the water, thinking of how lucky she was to still be with her through everything.

"That light..." Peridot thought to herself, bracing the gem to her chest. "Does that mean... you're still alive, Lapis?"

Perhaps, she thought, or maybe it was simply the last of her energy being expended in a futile attempt to repair her form. Though, in her metaphorical heart, there was still a great measure of hope.

"Lapis... We'll be alright. I just know it." She thought to herself once more. "Just wait until we get back to mainland..."

* * *

 _ **This was a pretty fun chapter to write, though I didn't hit a few points that I wanted to on Smol and Tol's side. As always, give me your feedback and remember that Jewel belongs to Lexiboss and not me. See you guys next time!**_


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